The Authority has had the opportunity to discuss programmes on vehicles to see how this type of programme is regulated in Europe and to carry out a monitoring exercise of currently produced programmes on Maltese television channels. The Authority wishes to emphasise that this type of programme should not be of an advertising nature but of an informative and educational one. Naturally, the current laws will still apply to such programmes but the Authority wishes to interpret these laws vis-à-vis such programmes. The Authority is proposing that such programmes should conform with effect from 1st October 2007 to the following:

a) Programmes on vehicles shall not be considered in breach of the advertising regulations if several vehicle products produced, imported, retailed or hired by different automobile manufacturers, importers, sellers or hirers are presented during the same series of the same programme;

b) it is allowed to mention the brand name of the vehicle and to sum up the good as well as bad aspects of the vehicle in question. But it shall not be acceptable to mention only the positive aspects of the said vehicle or to have repeated close-ups of the vehicle’s brand name or any close-ups of the showroom from where the vehicle is exhibited, sold or hired. The producer shall ensure that the programme is balanced when dealing with such positive and negative vehicle features;

c) it shall not be permissible to invite viewers or listeners to buy such vehicles during such programmes;

d) whilst sponsorship of a programme on vehicles by an importer, seller, agent, hirer, etc. is allowed, it shall not be permissible for such a person to sponsor either in part or in whole the series of programmes on vehicles where more than half of the vehicles so sponsored are sold or hired by the said person. Nor shall it be possible for such a person to sponsor a programme which features only the vehicles imported, sold or hired by the said person;

e) it shall be prohibited for a vehicle seller or agent to sponsor or advertise that edition of the programme where the vehicles imported or sold by that agent feature in that particular episode;

f) the review of a vehicle’s features should not be conducted by a member of the importer’s or agent’s staff but by an independent expert such as a mechanic, vehicle enthusiast, etc.;

g) promotional material should be avoided. Promotional material includes foreign promotional material supplied by the vehicle’s manufacturer or producer and which contains details of an advertising nature; or when the vehicle is given undue prominence beyond the informational pursuit. Undue prominence is given when the price of the vehicle is provided or from which agent or importer it can be purchased, the address, telephone number or other contact details of the importer or agent are supplied, any website of the importer or agent are displayed or any of the importer’s or agent’s staff participate in the programme or when the vehicle is filmed in the showroom and the name of the importer or agent or other details of the showroom are given so as to identify from which importer or agent that vehicle can be purchased;

h) vehicle includes cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles and other means of transport of any class or description intended for the conveyance of persons or goods.